~~~~Hikari~~~~
I focused completely on my dish, wanting everything to be absolutely perfect. Although I had to make a few adjustments to the spices, I knew exactly what the results of my dish would do. The judges won't know what hit their senses. All of them will be rattled beyond recognition.
However, as I was putting the final touches on my dish, I could feel someone staring at me. I glanced towards where I thought the stare was coming from and saw that it was coming from the judges table. Specifically, that front judge, the woman with the blonde hair and the white dress. I heard rumors that her name was Natsume Sendawara, a pretty big head in the culinary world.
That woman was staring at me like I was the most important thing the room. I would have thought that she would follow the other judges, surveying the entire floor, but she as focused only on me. It was kind of freaking me out a little bit.
"Only a little bit of time left!" The Emcee, Yua Sasaki, said nervously and counted down. I put on the last little touches to my dish just as the timer went off and everyone stopped with their cooking.
"Time is up! Please prepare to present your dish to the judges!" The announcer said and the students started shuffling to the front in order to get their judgements.
The students would be judged basically in the same way that I had myself. Each judge could grant twenty points and the final score would be on a scale of one to one-hundred. the five highest scores would be allowed to go on to the actual tournament.
The tension became thick enough to cut with my knife as the first students went up and presented his dish. From the smell of his spices in the air, he used a unique blend of spices and light meat. He was pretty thorough with this preparations. And yet.... he didn't even get past thirty points.
Natsume Sendawara was the harshest of all the judges. As each of the students came up and gave their dishes to the judges, she awarded none of them a single point. To honest, it was kind of shocking to see how harsh she was in judging food. All the other judges would give their points, albeit how small they were, but this woman was so picky that she didn't even pass a glance to the students. She just took a bite and gave nothing.
I looked over at my brother and saw him giving off his signature stupid little smile, which meant that he was confident.
"Uh, yeah, this is bad." Natsume Sendawara said as she wiped the remains of the dish off her lips, "How could I give a score for something like this?"
"Um... okay. What about the student's score?" Yua asked nervously.
Sendawara glared at the nervous girl, "Are you hard of hearing? I said the dish was bad."
Yua shook in both nerves and terror from the judge, "Okay... so the final score is..."
The score appeared on the large screen above judges' table.
"Nineteen points." Yua announced.
I sighed and saw that once again, Sendawara didn't award any points. Tough was this woman and nothing more.
"Natsume Sendawara awards zero points again." Shun said.
"She's judged more than ten contestants, and hasn't give a single point." Ryoko added.
"Even though everything looked delicious." Soma said, and the nerves were finally coming through.
"She's pretty nasty and picky with her taste, huh?" I smirked, "But no matter how tough the shell, it can always be cracked somehow."
"Uh, sis... you're starting to scare me a little." Soma said and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, "You got a plan for cracking this nut, don't you?"
I grinned at my sister, "Of course I do. But you're just gonna have to wait and see how their senses will be rattled."
Soma smiled back at me and then we turned out attention back to the judges.
"Uh... Please, the next contestant. Ryo Kurokiba, if you could be so kind. It's your turn."
I watched as Ryo, Alice Nakiri's right hand and assistant, walked up to the table. He seemed a little bit different than normal. He was always so sleepy looking and never really raised his voice. But there was always something about him that really stuck out, a kind of small fire that always sparked into a raging inferno when cooking.
Taking a look at his dish, I could see lobster and a red sauce broth. When he presented his dish to the judges, they couldn't help but stare in shock at the dish.
"The contrast of the fiery red of the lobster with the bright yellow of the saffron rice is quite beautiful." Shingenoshin Koda complimented, " And it was expertly treated so that the legs and the antenna would oppose no danger."
"How thoughtful." Makito Minatozaka said while examining the dish, "This presentation has a grace and refinement to it. It's difficult to find something like this outside of the fine dining experience."
"Yeah." Natsume Sendawara said, looking as bored as before, "Several fine dining establishments serve lobster curry in their repertoire. A seafood curry is nothing special to write home about."
She took a spoonful of the dish and as soon as she took that first bite, she was lost in the rich flavors. Just taking a whiff myself, the dish was incredible just exploding with a sense of the seaside.
Sendawara's cheeks flushed and took a second bite of the curry. Something she hasn't done once in the judging process. I knew that look on Sendawara's face by heart, it was the same face that people would make when they were satisfied with their meal. We saw it a lot back home with our customers.
"The sauce is Americaine, but its origin is French." She started to describe, "It's rich with fish stock and butter, and it also has savory vegetables. Not only that, but the core of this deep woody fragrance, it seems to be coming from.... Cognac!"
"That's a top quality brandy made around the western French city of Cognac, correct?"
"It smells enticing. Brandy is infused with the scent of the wooden caskets as it is left to age over time, creating this aroma. That would explain why this curry dish has such a rich aroma of cedar and sandalwood from it."
"You are correct in that." Ryo confirmed their judgements, "However, I used a top-shelf Napoleon cognac. This was to deepen the scent of the curry and to bring out the pureness of the other flavors."
The judges were impressed and so was I. That would explain why for a little bit I could smell wood coming from around his area, but I could quite pinpoint who was cooking. Now I had my answer.
"Well, it's about time our dishes begin to receive proper judgement." Ikumi said with a smirk.
"That's true, Ikumi. But there's something else with it." I said.
"I agree with sis, there's something more that dish." Soma agreed with me. And that's when it happened.
Before the judges could give their final scores, Ryo stopped them and searched through his pockets before pulling out a red headband. He tied it around his head and in that second, he did a complete 180 with his personality.
His eyes were crazy, his stance was wide, and he was smiling like a maniac. It was like he was about to go into a bloody battle for the crown of the Fall Selection.
"Not just yet. It's too soon for you to stop eating." He said and brought out a tray of eyedroppers filled with cognac, "There's still a part of the dish that you haven't enjoyed yet. The tomalie nestled deep inside the lobster head. You must take this dropper, put a couple drops into the shell and then slurp it up. That's the most satisfying way to enjoy the dish."
Each of the judges, though they were a little stunned, did as they were instructed. And they were not disappointed with the dish.
"Ryo Kurobika score is.... ninety-three points!"
The crowd went wild with Ryo's score and how he completely took over the lead in first place. He swept through the competition with a single dish. Not bad. He turned around and faced my brother and I along with our little group of friends, grinning like a mad man.
"This academy is a disappointment." He declared, then took off his headband and went back to his calm demeanor before leaving.
"Will th-- the-- the next contestant please come forward now?" Yua asked and Ikumi finally took her place at the table.
She presented a delicious meal in a single bowl. A Dongpo pork curry bowl, a pork belly simmered in soy sauce and several other ingredient to further enhance the flavors and give it a rich aroma. What really set off the presentation was the fact that the meat wobbled with a single tap of the bowl.
"Looks like her dish really made an impression on them." Ryoko said
"Yeah, stick it to 'em, Meat-Meat." Soma said.
I smiled, "She cut the meat into thick cubes to soak up the umami. Not to mention from the scent the spices will really hit them, despite the smell being hidden by the sweetness of the pork. She's really come far with her meat skills."
And it looked like I was right about her skills. The judges couldn't stop eating until the bowl was completely clean of its contents. She was awarded with second place and a score of eighty-six points.
"Damn it. I was only able to get second place." Ikumi said. My brother rushed up and congratulated her on her score, but there wasn't much time to celebrate.
Ryoko finally went up, but she presented a plain little dish. But from what I know about Ryoko, she had a plan. Over the entire vacation, I noticed that she was paying careful attention to her rice and with the smell of charcoal burning in the basement, she was planning a char-fired natto curry dish. The dish was sticky, but it hit the judges hard with its intense flavor while not overpowering the curry.
"Ryoko Sakaki is awarded with eight-six points and is tied with Ikumi Mito!"
Zenji came up next, and not many expected much from him, but his mind is as sharp as his blade. He gave off a dish that was completely white, from the broth to the noodles, everything was a peaceful white color. It was a white potage curry udon that left the judges completely speechless. The soft poached egg, the potato and melted cheese all combined with the vichyssoise soup and delicate udon noodles that soaked up in all the flavor.
"Zenji Marui is awarded eight-eight points!" He took second place with ease.
The momentum didn't stop with Zenji. Another member of Kyokusei Dorms came up, the smoke master himself. As per his strengths, he created a smoked curry, but the idea of smoking everything threw the judges off guard once they took a bite. From looking at his and smelling the aroma in the air, he used smoked spices and he even smoked seaweed salt. He soaked the spices before smoking them in a Saumur to give it a curry flavor.
He tied with Zenji for second place. And even though it looked like the judges needed a break, there was no stopping a king to come. Akira... the spice master.
He walked up to me and my brother while his dish was prepared to be served.
"Don't worry, I didn't forget to make you two a portion as well." Akira said.
"What a coincidence, I did the same thing." Soma said.
"And don't worry, I made you both something of my dish, too. Better brace yourselves." I smirked.
Akira gave the judges a Naan souffle, he even gave me and Soma a spoon and out portion of his cooking. My brother, the judges and I took a spoon and pushed it into the naan covering of the dish. Immediately, I could feel my sense of smell be overpowered by the scent of spices all dancing together in perfect harmony. For a minute, I thought I was gonna collapse from the overpowering aroma.
I covered my nose to stop myself from being completely thrown off, and I quickly went back to my station to get my scent-cancelling gel before wiping it under my nose. When I was fine again, I went back to the tasting. We took a bite of the dish and I was more than stunned, I was completely frozen with the curry.
I tasted everything about it and I noticed two things.
"Yogurt and Holy basil." I muttered, surprised at myself for knowing about Holy Basil. I had only heard about it in books, and it's pretty rare to get this fresh. But how did I know about Holy Basil when I've never tried it before? Strange.
"You are correct, Hikari." Akira said, "One mistake with Holy Basil and it completely takes a turn in the dish."
"I see, so you used to yogurt to help smooth out the rest of the flavor. Sneaky move, Hayama." I smiled.
Natsume smiled and leaned forward, flipping her hair as she proposed something many chefs would dream of.
"Akira Hayama. Won't you be mine? You're just too delicious to be true. I'll let you take a moment to make your asking price. one-hundred million? Two-hundred million. I'll happily pay whatever--"
Akira walked up to her and whispered something.
"No thank you. I only fight for Jun Shiomi. Appreciate the offer though." He said and walked away.
Soma looked over at me, "Well sis, your score?"
I closed my eyes and calculated everything in my head.
"I'm gonna give him.... a ninety-four." I said, and just like with my judgement, the judges gave Akira the same score, moving him to first place.
"All right, let's keep this competition moving. Soma Yukihira will present next." Yua announced.
"Good luck, big brother." I said, "Just know that I'm not holding back on my judgement."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, little sister." He said and went up to the table to present his dish.
Soma placed his dish one the table and lifted the covers, revealing a curry omelette.
"Order up!" He shouted lifting a spoon into the air, "Another curry bomb... coming at cha!"
He swiftly cut the omelette and a wave of aroma burst from the food, revealing a risotto on the inside. Inside the omelette was like a rice bowl covered in delicious sauce and the outside was cooked to nothing but perfection.
We all took a bite and were instantly hit hard with a raging flavor. The flavor was strong enough to satisfy you just from sitting on your tongue. I even tasted the savory flavor of a homemade mango chutney. It's a ground up paste with spices and other fruits and vegetables, then is turned into a condiment. It was something well beyond his previous dishes. It was crisp and clean, but also deep enough to shake the senses.
I smiled and put my spoon down before turning my head to my brother.
"Big brother... I give you.... a ninety-three." I whispered. And once again, the judges gave him the same score I did. A big ninety-three was shown on the screen. It knocked him right up there with Ryo for second place.
The judges started arguing about their votes and scores, since according to the scores, three of the judges preferred my brother's dish to Akira's. But there was still me to deal with.
"All right, now for the last contestant. Hikari Yukihira, please come forward and present you dish."
I smiled and took a tray of my dish to the judges, passing my brother as I walked.
"Good luck, Hikari." Soma said.
"Hey big brother, I left your portion over there. You too, Akira, go ahead and try a bite." I said.
~~~~Natsume Sendawara~~~~
After so many dishes that shook me to my core, I was finally going to taste her cooking. As she walked closer, I somehow saw a small shadow behind her. The shadow of a young girl with black hair and a soft sweet smile on her face. She may have changed her hair color, but this was still the same girl from all those years ago.
She stopped right in front of our table and set a dish for each of us.
"Are you prepared to have your senses rattled?" She asked and uncovered the dish, revealing a plate filled to the brim with nothing but pure deliciousness.
The curry looked like nothing special to the naked eye, but I could see that something was different about this dish.
"What is this?" Makito asked as he stared at the dish, "I see normal garam masala from traditional Indian curry. And is that a chili pepper?"
"It is, but I'm seeing Pak Choi, a Chinese cabbage." Shingenoshin commented.
I took a whiff, "But this scent... I can smell so many different kinds of Indian spices permeating the nose. It's like a whirlwind of Indian wind carrying the spices across the country."
Hikari smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's right. This is a special fusion of multiple regions around the world. More specifically, Thailand, China, India, all poured into a single curry. This is Yukihira-Style Three-Asian fusion Curry."
Everyone the arena was shocked at such a simple looking dish containing things from three different parts of Asia. But I expected nothing less from this girl.
"Well then, let's see what this fusion dish has to offer." I said and took a bite along with the other dishes.
Instantly, my body felt overwhelmed with nothing but pure pleasure. My hand couldn't stop moving to take in more of this heavenly dish.
"What is this flavor?" Shingenoshin said as he continued to stuff his face, "It's so spicy but it's also mellow as it settles within the stomach."
"Yes, and with the sauce, there's a hint of saltiness from the chicken broth, but then it hits you with a sweet undertone." My eyes widened when I figured it out, "No, it can't be..."
Hikari smiled even brighter, "That's right judges. I mixed in some coconut milk with my own homemade red Thai curry paste covered chicken cut up into small bite sized pieces. The spices blended perfectly with the sweetness of the coconut milk to help settle the spiciness of the curry and make you want to dig in even more."
"But there's a small hint of acidity that adds to the flavor of the garam masala mixed with the curry sauce. How can you have this kind of acidity without it overpowering the entire dish?" Makito asked.
"Well, that hint of acidity comes from the lime I added."
"Lime?!" We all shouted.
"That's right." Hikari said, "I added some lime and the Pak Choi for a small added sense of acidity. It gives a quick jolt to the senses, doesn't it?"
"It does." Shingenoshin agreed, "I can definitely taste the Indian curry within this dish, but it represents Thai curry because of the bright color and the light feeling you get from it. Plus, there are hints of the five Chinese spices along with the Pak Choi giving an extra hint of flavor while also bringing life to the one who eats it."
"The flavor of the chicken just pours out with every bite and the potatoes soaked with the taste of the chicken, the spices just burst into your mouth like a hurricane of undeniable deliciousness!" I exclaimed in satisfaction.
Hikari bowed, "I hope that your senses have been rattled." She said, and indeed, all my senses were rattled. I couldn't even feel my heart beating rapidly.
"Wait a minute..." One of the judges shouted, "I recognize this dish! Yes, I only got to taste it once while I was abroad. This is Hikaaree Karee from a popular restaurant in India! You copied this dish!"
"That is not true in the slightest!" A voice shouted from the near the stage. We all turned to see an Indian woman wearing tradition Indian clothing, but I recognized her face immediately.
She was the owner of India's most famous restaurant. Chhaya!
"Chhaya! What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I had heard that one of my previous students was participating in this years Selection and I wanted to see her in action." The woman smiled and walked right up to Hikari, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"It's good to see you again, Hiina." She said, but Hikari looked confused.
"This girl came to my restaurant years ago and noticed something off with one of my dishes. She recreated it and I gave her the reward as to name this dish after her. I taught her for three months and she excelled. If you want proof, then here it is."
She walked over to me and the judges before handing me a small picture of a young girl with black hair holding up her completed dish. It was indeed the same girl I remembered.
Hiina!
The students were all talking about what Chhaya said, muttering things about Hikari being her students.
"Well then, why not give her her score, Natsume. I'm sure everyone is waiting for judgement."
We all shook out heads to get back to the competition, but of course, we already knew the end results for Hikari Yukihira.
"Hikari Yukihira's dish is awarded with....." The announcer was stunned by the score.
"98 POINTS! HIKARI YUKIHIRA MOVES UP TO FIRST PLACE!"
The crowd was silent but erupted into chaotic cheers, chanting Hikari's name. Chhaya smiled and hugged Hikari, who continued to look at everyone in utter confusion.
Just then, her brother came running up to her and hugged her tightly, lifting her in the air and spinning her around.
"Oh yeah! That's my sis! Expect nothing less from the legendary Heaven's Senses!"
My eyes widened at the nickname.
~~~~~
I was sitting on the ground, completely paralyzed by what I had just eaten. It was the most delicious chocolate lava cake that I had ever had the honor of tasting. It was filled to the brim with chocolate blended with strawberries, raspberries and other complimentary fruits. The cake was even covered with a raspberry sauce and topped with mine and vanilla flavorings. It was utter perfection to the rattle all my senses to the core.
When I looked up at the chef who made it, I thought I was dreaming.
The chef was no more than seven or eight years old, her soft black hair cut short to her chin. She stood tall, but she was smiling gently at me.
"Have your senses been rattled, Ms. Sendawara?" The little girl asked softly.
"How.... how could a child make such a magnificent dessert?" I asked and crawled closer to the girl, "Please, you have to work for me. I won't be able to make it another day without your cooking on my plate three times a day. I promise, I'll support you no matter what it takes. What's your price? I'll pay whatever you ask for."
The girl shook her head and knelt down in front of me, holding my head in her soft little hands.
"I appreciate your offer, Ms. Sendawara, but at the moment, I am not for purchase. I will be staying here in this country for the time being, and I would love to cook for you again while I am here."
She stood up and turned to leave, but I stopped her by grabbing her hand.
"At least tell me your name." I said.
She turned to me, "I am the Heaven's Senses. Hiina."
~~~~~
It really was her. The same girl I begged to work for me. I was about to get up and talk to her more, to drag her to my residence for the time being and talk about a partnership between her and the Sendewara group. But before I could get out of my seat, she started to collapse into her brother's arms.
"Whoa, sis, you all right?" Soma asked.
"A headache.... nothing more." Hikari whispered.
Soma bent down and helped Hikari onto his back, "Let's go get you your medicine. Then you can take a nice long nap, okay?"
Soma rushed out of the arena with his sister on his back. I wanted more of her cooking, but for the time being, I had to wonder a few things.
"Hiina... and Hikari....." I muttered.